Bus duct hanger



.Jung 22, 1965 G. N. JoRGENsEN ETAL 3,190,604

BUS DUCT HANGER Filed Sept. 4, 1963 1N VENTORS United States Patent O M 3,1%,694 EUS DUCT HANGER George N. .iorgensen and Robert E. King, Lexington, Ky., assignors to Sqnare 1) Company, Park Ridge, Ill., a corporation of Michigan Filed Sept. d, 1963, Ser. No. 306,458 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-317) rthis invention relates to bus duct hangers.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved hanger for bus duct.

Another object is to provide a bus duct hanger of a type such that the hangers for a complete run of bus duct may be suspended and aligned before any bus duct is hoisted into position.

A further object is to provide a bus duct hanger which may be readily suspended by a single drop rod but which may have anti-sway bracing readily attached thereto if desired.

Still another object is to provide a bus duct hanger which may be completely assembled at 4the factory so as not to require further assembling at the job site.

A still further object is to provide a bus duct hangerV which may be attached to the bus duct without the use of tools.

Another object is to provide a bus duct hanger permitting the suspended duct to be moved longitudinally therein.

Y et another object is to provide a bus duct hanger including an elongated channel-shaped main body portion having a pair of generally L-shaped openings respectively a jacent opposite ends of each of the side portions thereof, a pair of leg portions respectively pivotally mounted in the main body portion adjacent opposite ends thereof and normally extending generally perpendicularly downwardly therefrom, each of the leg portions having an inwardly extending hook portion adjacent the free end and each hook portion having an upwardly extending retaining flange adjacent its free end, the pivoted ends of each of the leg portions having an anchoring portion with a pair of transversely extending opposite tongues respectively receivable in an aligned pair of the L-shaped openings in the side portions of the channel-shaped main body portion in the longer leg portions of the L-shaped openings and shiftable to the shorter leg portions of the L- shaped openings, and a pair of generally Z-shaped spring members respectively secured to the inner surfaces of the leg portions of said hanger, each spring member having an upper retaining portion engageable with the main body portion of the hanger to limit outward pivotal movement of its respective leg portion of the hanger and retain the tongues thereof in the shorter leg portions of the respective L-shaped openings, and each spring member having a lower retaining portion extending through its respective leg portion of the hanger and cooperable with the retaining flange thereon to maintain a bus duct housing on the hook portion thereof.

Other objects and advantages will appear when the following specication is considered along with the acconipanyin g drawing in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a bus duct hanger constructed in accordance with the invention.

FiGURE 2 is a perspective view of the main body portion of the hanger of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective View of one of the leg portions of the hanger of FIGURE 1 before it is assembled with the main body portion;

FGURE 4 is an elevational View of the bus duct hanger of FIGURE l showing a bus duct being inserted upwardly thereinto, the bus duct being shown in cross section;

FlGURE 5 is a fragmentary view similar to the right ISO ldddd Patented .lune 22, 1965 ICC hand portion of FIGURE 4 but showing the lowering of the bus duct into the leg portions of the hangers; and

FGURE 6 is a View similar to FIGURE 4 but showing the bus duct in final mounted position.

A bus duct hanger 1d constructed in accordance with the invention includes a main body portion 11 of generally U-shaped or channel-shaped cross section, a pair of leg portions 12 mounted respectively adjacent opposite ends of the body portion 11 for limited pivotal movement relatively thereto, and a pair of generally Z-shaped springs 14 formed from fiat stock and respectively secured to the leg portions 12 by respective rivets 15. The bus duct hanger 11D is particularly adapted for use with bus duct of the construction disclosed in copending application, Serial No. 135,852, tiled on September 5, 1961, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, but it will be understood that it is within the scope of the invention to modify the length or shape of the leg portions 12 to accommodate bus duct having a housing or frame of diiferent construction or to accommodate the bus duct of the aforesaid copending application atwise of the bus bars, rather than edgewise as shown.

The leg portions 12 are shaped as best shown in FIG- URE 3. Each leg portion 12 includes an elongated dat portion-16 having a bent-over anchoring portion 17 and a hook portion 18 formed integrally therewith respectively adjacent opposite ends thereof. Each flat portion 16 is provided with a round hole 2@ for receiving one of the rivets 15 and a rectangular hole 21 for receiving a portion of one of the springs 1a. Each anchoring portion 17 includes a pair of laterally extending tongues 23 for pivotally suspending the respective leg portions 12 from the main body portion 11 of the hanger. Each hook portion 1S includes a retaining iange 2d for retaining the respective leg portion 12. in supporting relationship with a bus duct.

ri`he channel-shaped main body portion 11 of the hanger 10 is best `shown in FlGURE 2 and includes an elongated bottom portion 26 and a pair of opposed side portions 27 formed integrally therewith. Each side portion 27 is provided vvith a pair of Vroughly L-shaped openings 29 respectively adjacent opposite ends and aligned with the respective openings 29 in the other side portion 27 for pivotally mounting the leg portions 12 adjacent opposite ends of the main body portion 11. The tongues 23 )of each leg portion 12 are first inserted in the vertically extending longer leg portions of an opposed pair of the L-shaped openings 29 with the at portion 16 extending generally parallel to the bottom portion 26 of the main body portion 11, and the leg portion 12 is then rotated to pivot the tongue portions 23 into the horizontally extending shorter leg portions of the L-shaped openings 29. The dimensions and shapes of the parts are such that the leg portions 12 cannot be disengaged from the main body portion 11 without rst being rotated back to place the tongue portions 23 mainly in the vertically extending longer leg portions of the L-shaped openings 29 again. Further, when the hanger is under load, the tongue portions 23 are confined within the horizontally extending shorter leg portions of the L-shaped openings 29 and engage the portions of the side portions 27 dening the horizontally extending shorter leg portions of the L- shaped openings to provide added support and prevent bending of the leg portions 12 at the junction of the dat portions 16 with the anchoring portions 17, which could occur if the tongue portions 23 were not so confined.

The springs 1d are riveted respectively to the leg portion 12 while the flat por-tions 16 are generally perpendicular to the bottom portion 26 and the tongues 23 are mainly in the horizontally extending shorter leg portions of the openings 29. The springs 14 include upper retaining portions 30 engageable with the bottom portion 26 as shown in FIGURE 4 to limit outward pivotal movement of the leg portions 12, and thus retain the tongues 23 in the horizontally extending shorter leg portions of the openings 29 and thereby retain the leg portions 12 in assembled relationship with the main body portion 11 of the hanger.

The bottom portion 26 is provided with a hole 31 (FIGURE 1) for reception of a drop rod 32 indicated in dotted lines in FIGURES 4 and 6. A plurality of holes 33 are provided in the bottom portion 26 and side portions 27 for the securing of anti-sway braces (not shown) to the main body portion 11 if desired.

The springs 14 also include lower retaining portions 34 extending through the respective openings 21 and serving to retain bus duct in association with the hanger. FIGURES 4-6 show a cross section of a bus duct including a housing or casing having an upper channel portion 36 with side flange portions 37. Upon insertion of the bus duct in the hanger 10, the ange portions 37 engage the springs 14 and pivot the leg portions 12 outwardly, as shown in FIGURE 4. The bus duct is inserted into the hanger far enough to raise the flange protions 37 above the retaining flanges 24 on the hook portions 18 of the leg portions 12. The leg portions 12 are then pushed inwardly by the installer to locate the hook portions 18 under the ange portions 37 and stress the springs 14 as shown in FIGURE 5. Finally, the bus duct is lowered till the side tlanges 37 engage the hook portions 18 as shown in FIGURE 6 and the springs 14 resume their unstressed shape. The retaining anges 24 of the leg portions 12 and the lower retaining portions 34 of the springs 14 thereafter prevent accidental dislodgment of the bus duct from the hanger, because the distance therebetween is less than the corresponding dimension of the side flange portions 37 of the bus duct housing.

It will be seen that the bus duct may be attached to the hangers without the use of tools and may be slid longtiudinally in the hangers if desired. Further, the springs 14 serve the double purpose of retaining the leg portions 12 on the body portion 11 and retaining the bus duct in the hanger. A complete row of hangers may be installed before any bus duct is hoisted into position.

Various modifications may be made in the structure shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A bus duct hanger comprising an elongated main body portion, a pair of depending leg portions respectively pivotally mounted on said main body portion adjacent opposite ends thereof and normally extending generally perpendicularly thereto, the free end portion of each of said leg portions including an inwardly extending hook portion with an upwardly extending retaining flange, and a pair of generally Z-shaped spring members secured respectively to the inner surfaces of said leg portions and including lower retaining portions normally extending inwardly respectively from said leg portions in -upwardly spaced relationship respectively to said inwardly extending hook portions and upwardly extending retaining tlanges and resiliently movable outwardly respectively from said upwardly extending retaining anges, whereby a bus duct can be suspended by said hook portions and prevented by said lower retaining portions from moving upward sufciently to clear said upwardly extendingretaining anges, said spring members including upper rel taining portions respectively extending inwardly from said inner surfaces of said leg portions angularly with respect to said main body portion when said leg portions are generally perpendicular thereto and being atwise engageable with said main body portion upon outward pivotal movement of said leg portions thereby to limit said outward pivotal movement.

2. A bus duct hanger comprising an elongated channelshaped main body portion including a pair of generally parallel opposite side portions each having a pair of generally L-shaped openings therein respectively disposed adjacent opposite ends thereof and respectively aligned with the L-shaped openings in the other side portion, a pair of depending leg portions respectively pivotally mounted on said main body portion adjacent opposite ends thereof and normally extending generally perpendicularly thereto, the pivoted end portion of each of said leg portions including an anchoring portion having a pair of transversely oppositely extending tongues receivable respectively in a pair of said aligned L-shaped openings in the longer leg portions thereof and shiftable to the shorter leg portions thereof, the free end portion of each of said leg portions including an inwardly extending hook portion with an upwardly extending retaining flange, and a pair of generally Z-shaped spring members secured respectively to the inner surfaces of said leg portions and including lower retaining portions normally extending inwardly respectively from said leg portions in upwardly spaced relationship respectively to said inwardly extending hook portions and upwardly extending retaining flanges and resiliently movable outwardly respectively from said upwardly extending retaining ilanges, whereby a bus duct can be suspended by said hook portions and prevented by said lower retaining portions from moving upward sufficiently to clear said upwardly extending retaining anges, said spring members including upper retaining portions respectively extending inwardly from said inner surfaces of said leg portions angularly with respect to said main body portion when said leg portions are generally perpendicular thereto and being ilatwise engageable with said main body portion upon outward pivotal movement of said leg portions thereby to limit said outward pivotal movement and retain said tongues of the respective leg portions generally in said shorter leg portions of the respective pair of said aligned L-shaped openings.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,200,877 10/16 Sable 24S-343 1,843,201 2/32 Buchanan 248-343 1,849,966 3/32 Ureles 248-343 2,297,869 10/42 Biller 248-343 2,507,308 5/50 Kruger 24S-343 2,563,268 8/51 Pettinggell 248-343 2,578,022 12/51 Schoenbrod 248-343 2,687,867 8/54 Wolar 248-343 2,711,876 6/55 Goebel 248-343 2,854,205 9/58 Kruger 248-343 2,963,251 12/60 Fuss 248-343 2,969,438 1/61 Herrmann et al. 248-58 2,978,573 4/61 Kalbrunner 248-343 3,018,083 1/62 Bobrick 248-343 u CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BUS DUCT HANGER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED MAIN BODY PORTION, A PAIR OF DEPENDING LEG PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID MAIN BODY PORTION ADJACENT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF AND NORMALLY EXTENDING GENERALLY PERPENDICULARLY THERETO, THE FREE END PORTION OF EACH OF SAID LEG PORTIONS INCLUDING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING HOOK PORTION WITH AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING RETAINING FLANGE, AND A PAIR OF GENERALLY Z-SHAPED SPRING MEMBERS SECURED RESPECTIVELY TO THE INNER SURFACES OF SAID LEG PORTIONS AND INCLUDING LOWER RETAINING PORTIONS NORMALLY EXTENDING INWARDLY RESPECTIVELY FROM SAID LEG PORTIONS IN UPWARDLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP RESPECTIVELY TO SAID INWARDLY EXTENDING HOOK PORTIONS AND UPWARDLY EXTENDING RETAINING FLANGES AND RESILIENTLY MOVABLE OUTWARDLY RESPECTIVELY FROM SAID UPWARDLY EXTENDING RETAINING FLANGES, WHEREBY A BUS DUCT CAN BE SUSPENDED BY SAID HOOK PORTIONS AND PREVENTED BY SAID LOWER RETAINING PORTIONS FROM MOVING UPWARD SUFFICIENTLY TO CLEAR SAID UPWARDLY EXTENDING RETAINING FLANGES, SAID SPRING MEMBERS INCLUDING UPPER RETAINING PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM SAID INNER SURFACES OF SAID LEG PORTIONS ANGULARLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID MAIN BODY PORTION WHEN SAID LEG PORTIONS ARE GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR THERETO AND BEING FLATWISE ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID MAIN BODY PORTION UPON OUTWARD PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LEG PORTIONS THEREBY TO LIMIT SAID OUTWARD PIVOTAL MOVEMENT. 